Fort San Sanatorium: Saskatchewan’s Abandoned TB Hospital

Discover the haunting history and hidden past of Fort San. Saskatchewan’s oldest tuberculosis sanatorium, once a place of hope, healing, and tragedy.

Welcome to Fort San Sanatorium, one of Saskatchewan’s most iconic abandoned sites. Once a thriving tuberculosis hospital overlooking the scenic Qu’Appelle Valley, Fort San now stands as a haunting reminder of the province’s early battles against infectious disease and the evolution of healthcare on the prairies.

Before its demolition in 2017, we explored the entire property, including the main hospital, outbuildings, and the doctors’ residence, capturing the final moments of this historic site before it was lost to time.

This post is Part One of Three in our Fort San series:

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, tuberculosis (TB), often called the “White Plague” spread rapidly through Canada’s growing cities. Crowded living conditions and a lack of medical understanding allowed the disease to flourish. At its peak, TB was responsible for more deaths in Saskatchewan than any other illness.

With no cure available, the survival rate hovered around 50%, and the only known treatments were fresh air, sunlight, rest, and nutrition. In response, the Saskatchewan Anti-Tuberculosis League was formed to combat the crisis. The League’s goal was to remove patients from urban centers, isolate them in clean rural environments, and provide treatment in specialized facilities known as sanatoriums. Patients were often admitted involuntarily and endured months sometimes years of strict regimens involving rest, monitored diets, and exposure to sunlight.

Fort San Sanatorium, located near Fort Qu’Appelle, was the first of three tuberculosis sanatoriums built in Saskatchewan. Construction began in 1913, and the facility officially opened in 1917.

At its peak, Fort San could accommodate approximately 350 patients, though records show that over 5,000 individuals received treatment there throughout its operation.

In its early years, Fort San functioned as a self-sufficient community, complete with:

  • Its own power plant and steam tunnels distributing heat and electricity
  • Livestock barns and vegetable gardens providing food
  • On-site laundry, workshops, and staff housing
  • A post office and recreation halls for patients and workers

Coal was the only major supply that needed to be transported in.

Before antibiotics, tuberculosis treatment focused on the “rest cure” a combination of bed rest, nutritious meals, and continuous exposure to fresh air and sunlight. Patients spent long hours on open-air porches and solariums, even in Saskatchewan’s harsh winters. Beds were wheeled outdoors or placed on covered balconies so patients could breathe “pure, healing air.” The hospital’s design featured large south-facing windows, verandas, and sunrooms specifically for this purpose.

While these methods rarely cured TB, they provided comfort, slowed disease progression, and reflected the era’s best medical practices.

In 1946, the discovery of the antibiotic Streptomycin revolutionized TB treatment, drastically reducing the need for isolation facilities. As the cure spread, sanatoriums like Fort San quickly became obsolete.

Fort San gradually scaled back operations and officially closed as a medical facility in 1972. However, by then it had treated thousands of patients and played a vital role in public health education and recovery efforts across Saskatchewan.

Fort San’s serene setting and spacious buildings found new life in 1967, when the site was partially converted into the Saskatchewan Summer School of the Arts. Artists, musicians, and writers gathered in the same halls that once held patients, giving the site a creative new identity. The arts school thrived for over two decades but closed in 1991 due to funding shortages.

In 1993, the property was repurposed again, this time as the Echo Valley Conference Centre. It hosted retreats, conferences, and educational programs. Several main buildings received new roofs, while unused structures were demolished to cut maintenance costs. Despite its beauty and historical value, the conference centre struggled financially and closed permanently in 2004.

Afterward, the property was sold to a private developer. Without upkeep, the once-proud complex fell into ruin windows shattered, building vandalized, water damage from rerouted eaves and failing roofs. By 2017, Fort San had been demolished with nothing left.

Today, Fort San Sanatorium remains one of Saskatchewan’s most fascinating and tragic historic sites, a place that reflects the province’s determination, innovation, and compassion in the face of crisis.

Though most of its buildings are gone, Fort San’s story endures through photographs, records, and the memories of those who lived, worked, or healed there. It stands as a reminder of how far medicine and Saskatchewan have come.

Read about our exploration journeys below (click the + to read more)

Share this post
Tags
Abandoned Hospital Saskatchewan
Our blogs
Weyburn Mental Hospital Power Plant & Steam Tunnels – Abandoned Asylum Infrastructure
Exploring the Forgotten Power Plant and Steam Tunnels Beneath Saskatchewan’s Largest Psychiatric Hospital
document.oncontextmenu = function() { return false; } .no-copy { -webkit-user-select: none; /* Safari */ -moz-user-select: none; /* Firefox */ -ms-user-select: none; /* IE 10+ */ user-select: none; /* Standard syntax */ }